Manufacture of glass tiles.



'PATBNTBD DEG. 18, 1906.

` w. T.VN1GH0LLS. MANUPAGTURE 0F GLASS TILES.

APYLIQATIOH FILED MAB. l0. 1905.

Vz'mellSses IINI'IFD STATES PATENT @FFIQEO WILLIAM T. NICHOLLS, OF I/VELLSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA. llllillNUFAC'l'U1:?tEy OF GLASS TILES.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. v18, 1906.

Application filed March l0)I 1906. Serial No 249,407.

T0 @ZZ vwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, I/VrLLIAu T. N IoHoLLs, of IWIellsbiirg, Brooke county, Test Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the yManufacture of Glass Tiles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a sectional side elevation showing apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention; and Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same, partly in section.

My invention relates to the manufacture of glass tiles having projections upon one face, by which they are secured to the wall or floor.

I have found that in rolling glass upon a table with undercut recesses to form projecting ribs on the back of the tile the roller does not form a perfect plane surface on the top of the glass sheet, owing to its leaving any rolled portion before the same has completely set in place. When an ordinary roller is employed for such purpose, the glass 'will in some cases draw out of the forming-recesses in the table and in other cases will produce ridges on the top plane surface of the sheet.

My invention is designed to overcome these diIiculties in the rolling of tile-glass; and it consists in using a roller having a series of flat faces which give a combined rolling and pressing action upon successive portions of the glass.

It also consists in partially cutting the tiles to` shape during the rolling operation, giving a lhnished front edge, and, further, in the construction and arrangement of the parts, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, 2 represents a rolling table or bed having side guides 3 3. I have shown the undercut recesses 4 cut in the surface of the table as extending longitudinally of the same in the direction of movement of the roller. These grooves, however, may extend across the table at right angles to the path of movement of the roller or diagonally of the table. The points of the groove may in such case extend either in the direction of movement of the roller or in the opposite direction.

The side guides are rovided at suitable intervals with semicirciflar recesses 5, in which t the correspondingly shaped bosses pivot-beads 6 of the pressing-roller. These bosses are formed upon end disks 7 7 of the roller, which roller is ofhexagonal form,having six flat faces extending longitudinally of it` It will be understood that the number and size of these flat faces may be varied as desired. In the formof the drawings I show the roller as made up of a series of hexagonal disks 8, between which are placed similarlyshaped knife-disks 9, these disks being threaded upon the shaft 10 and secured by end clamping-nuts 11, which press against the disks 7 and clamp all the disks in position on the shaft. The shaft is preferably provided at each end With hand-wheels 12, by which it is movable on the table.

In order to prevent the glass being rolled from entering between the disks 7 and the guides 3, I preferably employ sliding shoes 13 of the form shown in Fig. l. rest between the end disks 7 and the adjacent Idisks and are provided with -U-shaped slots extending up through their central portions and iitting around a hub portion of the end disks 14. The lower edges of these shoest down on the flat faces along the edges of the table within the guides. During the movement of the roller the shoe slides along without vertical movement, while the axis of the roller rises and falls within the U-shaped slots without moving the shoes vertically. The two shoes are preferably connected by bolts, as shown at 15.

In the use of the apparatus the glass is poured infront of the roller when at one end of the table, and the roller is then moved along by hand, rolling and pressing the glass and forcing it into undercut recesses of the table. As the bosses 6 of the roller engage the bearings 5 in the table the axis of the roller will rise and move through a curved path until the next bosses engage the next set of grooves. The roller is then in the position shown in Fig. l. As the rolleraxis moves down the drop may be eased by the attendants or by any suitable connections to prevent too sudden a blow upon the glass lying between the roller and the table. After each flat face of the roller is in the position of Fig. 1 the roller may be left in this position for a few moments to insure the chilling of the glass beneath it suiiiciently to prevent deformation vas the roller leaves it. The movement of the roller may therefore be These shoesl IOO or I intermittent or continuous, according to the 11o conditions, such as the heat of the glass, table, &c. At the same time that the glass is thus rolled out and the projections formed on its rear face the tiles are partially cut by the knives between the disks and by the beaded or tipped portions 15, extending along the corners of the roller between the flat faces. These longitudinal beads on the roller will form curved recesses in the glass, while the knives will also partially cut through the glass, so that the tiles may be easily broken apart when the sheet or plate is taken from the annealing-oven, thus giving the tile a finished edge on the top surface. During the rolling operation the shoes prevent glass from entering between the side guides and the supporting-disks, thus insuring uniform thickness of the rolled sheet. After the sheet has been rolled the glass is drawn sidewise from the table, and after being annealed the tiles may then be broken apart. The thin edges of the tile may then be ground in the ordinary manner.

The advantages of my invention result from the forming of the sheet with projections on its back in a cheap and ecient manner.l The pressing action of the rollerfaces gives ribs of aggregate form, while the top faces `of the tiles are fiat and of good finish. The simultaneous cutting of the tiles cheapens and simplifies the following operations, and a large output may be obtained at low cost. l

Many-variations may be made in the form and arrangement of the roller, the table, the grooves, &c., Without departing from my invention.

I claiml. In glass-rolling apparatus, a table having a recessed surface, and a roller arranged to traverse the table and roll the glass into sheet form and press it into the recesses and having its surface formed as a series of separate, fiat, longitudinally-extending, rolling and pressing faces adapted to maintain their forming contact with the glass until the latter has sufliciently set to prevent deformation thereof substantially as described.

2. In glass-rolling apparatus, a table, and a roller arranged to traverse the table and having a series of separate longitudinally-extending rolling and pressing faces, said roller being arranged to rise and fall as it moves over the table; substantially as described.

3. In glass-rolling apparatus, a roller having a series of fiat rolling and pressing surfaces, and a table coperating with the roller and arranged to be traversed thereby, and means for permitting a relative vertical movement of the roller and table during the traversing movement; substantially as described.

4. In glass-rolling apparatus, averticallymovable roller of polygonal form, its separate surfaces being fiat and arranged to eXert successive rolling and pressing actions upon the glass and adapted to maintain their contact with the glass until the latter has sufiiciently set to prevent deformation thereof; substantially as described.

5. In glass-rolling apparatus, a roller having a series of separated longitudinally-extending faces, and pivots or bosses at the junctures between the faces; substantially as described.

6. In glass-rolling apparatus, a table and a roller having a series of separated faces, the table and roller having coacting pivots and bearings therefor arranged to cause the roller to turn on the successive pivot-points as its axis rises and falls substantially as described.

7. In glass-rolling apparatus, a table having edge guides and a roller having successive faces coacting therewith, the roller and edge guides having coacting pivots and bearings acting in succession as the roller is moved along; substantially as described.

S. In glass-rolling apparatus, a roller having a series of flat longitudinally-extending faces with ridges between them and pivotal points at the ends of the ridges; substantially as described.

9. In glass-rolling apparatus, a roller provided with cutters, said roller having a succession of faces, the axis of the roller being arranged to rise and fall during its passage along the table 3 substantially as described.

l0. In glass-rolling apparatus, a recessed table, and a roller having successive, longitudinally-extending, flat surfaces to roll and press the glass into the recesses of the table, said roller also having cutting-knives; substantially as described.

1l. In glass-rolling apparatus, a table having recesses in its surface, and a roller having a succession of flat longitudinally-extending faces to roll and press the glass into said recesses, and also having transverse and longitudinal cutting-knives; substantially as described.

12. In glass-rolling apparatus, a roller having a succession of faces, the axis of the Y roller being arranged to rise and fall, and a shield or shoe arranged to prevent the glass from reaching the side guides; substantially as described.

13. In glass-rolling apparatus, a table having undercut recesses or grooves, in combination with a roller having a succession of flat longitudinal faces, and a table having side guides, the table and side guides having coacting pivots, and bearings on which the roller turns as its axis rises and falls; substantially as described.

14. In glass-rolling apparatus, a table having undercut recesses or grooves, in combination with a roller having a succession of flat longitudinal faces, and a table having side guides, the table and side guides having coacting pivots and bearings on which the IOO IIO

roller turns as its axis rises and falls, and I from reaching the side guides; substantially means for preventing the glass from reaching as described.

the side guides; substantially as described. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set l5. In glass-rolling apparatus, a table havmy hand.

ing side guides, a roller having a succession of WILLIAM T. NICHOLLS.

faces, the axis of the roller being arranged to Witnesses:

rise and fall as it moves over the table7 and a H. M. CORWIN,

shield or shoe arranged to prevent the glass JOHN MILLER. 

